Page 11 - Leadership Matters March 2013 issue.pub
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deleted the negative ones that wouldn’t be right,” he
explained. “If you have a problem, question or concern
about something we are doing, then please come and
talk with us. We’ll listen. As a community, these are our
kids, our schools and our decisions to make.”
Tipsord said that each
participant should focus on tthree
areas as “take-aways” for the
evening’s event:
Giving every student every
chance to succeed
What will it look like?
How are we going to do it
from a financial standpoint?
After Tipsord’s overview,
attendees
were
circulated
through breakout sessions that
went into more detail on the
financial, building and student
categories before regrouping for
a question-and-answer session.
It wasn’t a scientific survey,
but several people at the event had a similar story:
they grew up in LeRoy, moved away and decided to
come back based at least in part on the reputation of
the schools.
The principal of LeRoy Elementary School, Erin
Conn, was one of those people. She, her husband and
two school-age children moved back six years ago
from Hannibal, Missouri.
“The principal’s job came open and it was our one
chance to get back here and we took it,” Conn said.
Conn’s “Principal’s Message” on the school
district’s website probably contains several clues as to
why the family moved back even though it meant her
husband would have to commute more than an hour to
Springfield for his new job location. In part, Conn’s
message said:
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2012-13
school year at LeRoy Elementary School, a learning
environment that strives on Dedicated Educators,
Active Community Support, and Self- Regulated
Learners…We pledge to you our passion for the
individual security, safety and success of every
student…it is a great pleasure to work with
such a talented and dedicated staff in a
school where parents are so supportive
of our efforts. Children are precious gifts.
We take our responsibility seriously -- to
develop academically strong, self-
regulated learners who demonstrate
respect and become highly productive
citizens in our community.”
“Honestly, the state of our schools is
pretty good. There are some really cool
things happening in this district,” Tipsord
told the crowd. “We believe very, very
much in what we are doing.”
Apparently, the community also believes
in what the school district is doing. There
are no contested races in the upcoming
school board election. In fact, there are
no contested races at all in LeRoy this time around,
including for mayor or city council.
Mayor Steve Dean -- another person who grew up
in LeRoy, moved away and then came back – said
having great schools is a big part of the formula for
success in a town like LeRoy, which was founded in
1835 and is one of only a few communities in McLean
County to survive from that time period.
“If you don’t have top-of-the-line schools, what
does a small community have to sell?” Dean said.
“Good schools are what bring people with kids to town.
“This can be the biggest in-fighting town you’ve
ever seen in your life, but the town is solidly behind the
schools,” the mayor continued. “Many of our people
sleep here but work in Champaign or Bloomington.
They may not be engaged in the city, but they are
engaged in the schools.”
(Continued from page 10)
LeRoy ‘State of the Schools’ story ——————————————————
“If you
don’t
have top-
of-the-line
schools,
what does
a small community have
to sell? Good schools
are what bring people
with kids to town
.”
—LeRoy Mayor Steve Dean
ISDLAF+ March 2013 Monthly Update
Click
o view the March 2013 ISDLAF+ rates, economic
indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional
information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Emmert
Dannenberg, statewide marketing director/ ISDLAF+ at
815.592.6948. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at
.
